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Green tomatoes can be picked before they ripen and used in several different ways. Mature green tomatoes will often continue to ripen indoors, while less mature fruit can be cooked, pickled or preserved while still green. But, and it’s worth noting – a tomato that has had some frost damage will not ripen. Put those ones aside and use them right away.
The best option depends on the tomato. Size, maturity and condition can help determine whether an unripe tomato is likely to ripen after picking or is better suited to one of the many green tomato recipes available.
When to Pick Green Tomatoes
Tomatoes can remain on healthy plants as long as growing conditions allow. Toward the end of the season, however, cooler temperatures and early frosts eventually bring tomato season to an end.
Before a frost, harvest tomatoes that have reached a usable size. Large green tomatoes that are firm and fully developed are generally the best candidates for ripening indoors.
Smaller underripe tomatoes can be harvested as well. They may not all ripen successfully, but green tomatoes don’t need to turn red to be useful.
Discard tomatoes that are badly damaged or showing signs of rot. Tomatoes with minor blemishes can often still be used promptly rather than stored.
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors
Tomatoes continue to ripen after being removed from the plant. They do not require direct sunlight to do so, making a sunny windowsill unnecessary.
Place whole tomatoes in a single layer at room temperature with good airflow around them. Check them every few days and remove any that begin to spoil.
The process may take a matter of days or several weeks depending on how mature the tomatoes were when harvested.
A paper bag can also be used to encourage ripening. Place a few green tomatoes in the bag along with a ripe banana or apple. The ripe fruit produces ethylene, which helps encourage the tomatoes to ripen.
Check the contents regularly rather than closing the bag and forgetting about it.
Tomatoes that have begun changing from green toward their mature colour will generally ripen more readily than very young, hard green fruit.
Storing Green Tomatoes to Ripen Gradually
A large harvest doesn’t have to ripen all at once.
Temperature affects how quickly tomatoes ripen, so keeping some in a cooler location can slow the process. Sound, undamaged tomatoes are best for storage.
Arrange them in a single layer when possible, or separate layers to prevent the weight of the tomatoes from damaging those underneath. Check them periodically and move ripening tomatoes to room temperature as needed.
This can extend the availability of fresh tomatoes beyond the end of the outdoor growing season.
What to Make With Green Tomatoes
Tomatoes that remain green have a firm texture and tart flavour that works particularly well in recipes designed specifically for unripe tomatoes.
Fried green tomatoes are probably the most familiar example. Thick slices are typically coated and cooked in hot oil until golden brown, although there are baked and shallow-fried variations as well.
Preserving offers plenty of other possibilities.
Green tomato relish and chow chow are useful for larger quantities of tomatoes. Green tomato pickles take advantage of their firm texture, while green tomato chutney combines the tart tomatoes with sweet, savoury and spiced ingredients.
Green tomato salsa verde is another option. Depending on the recipe, it may include ingredients such as onions, garlic cloves, peppers, cilantro and lime juice.
Salsa-Making Tools
Green tomato salsa doesn’t require much specialized equipment, but a few basic kitchen tools make preparing a larger batch considerably easier. A good chef’s knife, sturdy cutting board, large mixing bowl and food processor are useful for chopping and combining tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs. If salsa is something you make regularly, these are the kinds of tools worth having on hand.
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There are also recipes for green tomato ketchup, green tomato jam, green tomato soup and even green tomato pie filling or green tomato mincemeat.
The flavour and texture of the finished product will depend heavily on the recipe, so it is worth choosing one developed specifically for green tomatoes rather than simply substituting them for ripe tomatoes.
Canning Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes can also be preserved using tested green tomato canning recipes.
For anything intended for shelf-stable storage, follow a current tested recipe from a reliable food-preservation source. The quantities and proportions of ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice are important to the safety of a water bath canning recipe and shouldn’t be changed casually.
Freezing or refrigerating a recipe provides more flexibility when a shelf-stable product isn’t necessary.
Canning Tools
If you plan to preserve green tomatoes using a tested canning recipe, having the right equipment makes the process much easier. A basic water-bath canning setup usually includes a large canning pot with a rack, canning jars and lids, a jar lifter, canning funnel and headspace measuring tool. Starter kits often bundle several of the smaller tools together, which can be handy if you’re putting together a canning setup for the first time.
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Can You Eat Green Cherry Tomatoes?
Green cherry tomatoes can be handled much the same way as larger varieties.
Those that are sufficiently mature may ripen after picking. Others can be incorporated into recipes calling for green tomatoes, with adjustments for their smaller size.
Their size also makes them well suited to some pickling recipes, since they can often be preserved whole rather than sliced.
Not Every Green Tomato Is Unripe
Some tomato varieties are green when fully ripe.
Green Zebra is one well-known example. These varieties develop their own colour, texture and other signs of maturity without ever becoming red tomatoes.
When growing a green tomato variety, the expected characteristics of that particular cultivar are a better indication of ripeness than colour alone.
More Ways to Use Green Tomatoes
There isn’t one particular thing that needs to be done with the last green tomatoes of the season.
Tomatoes that are mature enough can be allowed to ripen indoors. Keeping some cooler can stagger the process and provide fresh tomatoes over a longer period. Those that remain green can be cooked or preserved.
For a few tomatoes, fried green tomatoes or green tomato salsa may be enough. Pounds of green tomatoes open up options such as relish, chutney, pickles, chow chow or other preserves.
They are simply another stage of the tomato harvest — and a useful ingredient in their own right.
